2,000 Royal Caribbean Cruise Passengers Stuck At Port Over Life Jacket Issues

If there’s anything we know about heading out on the open sea, it’s that you’d better have plenty of lifesaving equipment on board. That’s why a failed safety inspection has left more than 2,000 passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise stuck at port instead of sailing the high seas on Valentine’s Day.

Florida Today reports that the Majesty of the Seas — which was supposed to be in the midst of a four-night Bahamian trip — missed its planned departure on Monday after a Coast Guard safety inspection found “multiple” safety concerns involving the ship’s lifesaving equipment.

Royal Caribbean, which operates the ship, says in a statement that the routine inspection found “technical” issues with the ship, including “some outdoor life jackets that were showing their age.”

An officer with the Coast Guard tells Florida Today that there were no issues with the ship’s engine, hull, or mechanical components. However, the issues with the life jackets were enough for the ship to fail inspection.

“For a cruise ship of its kind, it is unusual to have multiple failures involving lifesaving equipment because they are responsible for so many people who come aboard,” the officer said, noting that the lengthy inspection is routine.

Royal Caribbean says that replacement life jackets are expected to arrive at the ship this afternoon. At that point, the Coast Guard will conduct another inspection of the equipment.

While safety is important, many passengers on the Majesty of the Seas were still frustrated with the delay, sharing their ire on Twitter (see right).

Even passengers slated for future trips on the ship expressed concerns. However, Royal Caribbean notes that future excursions will not be impacted by the issue.

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